Skip to content
A Dialogue Concerning Oratory, or the Causes of Corrupt EloquenceCornelius Tacitus

A Dialogue Concerning Oratory, or the Causes of Corrupt Eloquence

by OpenStories

Original author: Cornelius Tacitus

CompletedPublished Updated

"A Dialogue Concerning Oratory, or the Causes of Corrupt Eloquence" by Tacitus is a dialogue published around 102 AD. Set in the 70s AD, four historical figures debate a provocative question: why has Roman oratory declined from its former glory? They examine education, rhetoric, and culture before reaching a startling conclusion about the relationship between eloquence and political freedom. The work suggests that great oratory flourished in the chaos of the Republic but became obsolete under the Empire's orderly peace.

A Dialogue Concerning Oratory, or the Causes of Corrupt Eloquence, by Cornelius Tacitus. Republished by OpenStories from Project Gutenberg eBook #15017.

  • 67,879words
  • 54chapters
  • 0stars
  • 0bookmarks
  • 4hits
Start reading

54 Chapters

  1. 1.Front Matter (1)8,889 words
  2. 2.Front Matter (2)8,779 words
  3. 3.Front Matter (3)6,304 words
  4. 4.Section I87 words
  5. 5.Section II543 words
  6. 6.Section III212 words
  7. 7.Section V551 words
  8. 8.Section VI281 words
  9. 9.Section VII1,184 words
  10. 10.Section VIII298 words
  11. 11.Section IX1,139 words
  12. 12.Section X: a Horace has the same observation858 words
  13. 13.Section XI325 words
  14. 14.Section XII1,829 words
  15. 15.Section XIII: a The rural delight of Virgil is described by himself900 words
  16. 16.Section XIV306 words
  17. 17.Section XV343 words
  18. 18.Section XVI673 words
  19. 19.Section XVII2,922 words
  20. 20.Section XVIII2,885 words
  21. 21.Section XIX538 words
  22. 22.Section XX1,941 words
  23. 23.Section XXI796 words
  24. 24.Section XXII368 words
  25. 25.Section XXIII1,591 words
  26. 26.Section XXIV79 words
  27. 27.Section XXV424 words
  1. 28.Section XXVI809 words
  2. 29.Section XXVIII309 words
  3. 30.Section XXIX941 words
  4. 31.Section XXX1,256 words
  5. 32.Section XXXI1,078 words
  6. 33.Section XXXII90 words
  7. 34.Section XXXIII116 words
  8. 35.Section XXXIV195 words
  9. 36.Section XXXV1,003 words
  10. 37.Section 163 words
  11. 38.Section 285 words
  12. 39.Section 366 words
  13. 40.Section 4300 words
  14. 41.Section 5151 words
  15. 42.Section 61,457 words
  16. 43.Section 7251 words
  17. 44.Section 8543 words
  18. 45.Section 10138 words
  19. 46.Section 11277 words
  20. 47.Section 1267 words
  21. 48.Section 13124 words
  22. 49.Section XXXVI460 words
  23. 50.Section XXXVII754 words
  24. 51.Section XXXVIII455 words
  25. 52.Section XXXIX416 words
  26. 53.Section XLII294 words
  27. 54.Conclusion11,136 words